Cruelly Lost and Incredibly Found
by Kenzie.hale
Summary: After overhearing a cryptic conversation between Remus and Sirius one night at Grimmauld Place Hermione begins to question everything she knows. When a man who looks startlingly similar to her best friend shows up one night at Order headquarters will Hermione finally find answers to questions she didn't know to ask? Will Harry get the family he always wanted? James P./Hermione G.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Something Lost**

Hermione grimaced as she inspected the dust covered rag that Mrs. Weasley had given her to clean the gaudy bookcases lining the Black family library. Ever since she had arrived at Grimmauld Place the matriarch of the Weasley family had set all the children to work cleaning the various rooms that were now part of the Order's headquarters. Dropping the rag, she wiped her hands on the backs of her jeans. She had been in the library for the past hour dusting bookcases to try and pass the time before some of the Order members returned from retrieving Harry. When she picked the rag back up, something caught her eye on the top shelf. A thick, black leather bound book was slightly sticking out from the others. After staring at the book for a

couple seconds, curiosity got the better of her and she reached out to grab it ignoring the warning Sirius had given her about some of the books being cursed against muggleborns. She paused just before her fingers grazed the book's spine. Her stomach tightened uncomfortably and her head suddenly felt heavy.

Hermione had been having 'episodes' (as she so eloquently referred to them) for as long as she could remember. Her stomach would twist into knots, her head would fill with cotton balls, and her heart would contract slightly in her chest. She never knew when it was going to happen and, because she didn't know what caused it, she could never prepare for it. Whenever it happened Hermione always felt like she was driving through fog at night without any idea where she was or where she was going. It was incredibly frustrating and every time it happened it made her want to pull her hair and stomp her feet.

Her most recent episode happened the first day she arrived at Grimmauld Place. She was walking through the hallway with Tonk's, when the auror tripped and knocked over an umbrella holder. Hermione was going to make a sarcastic comment about Tonk's superb ability to trip over air but she was interrupted by the portrait of Walburga Black. "Mudblood! Filth! In my home! Get out! Get out!" It took Remus and Sirius fifteen minutes (and a string of curse words) to get the curtains shut, putting an end to the witch's pure blood rant. The entire time Hermione could do nothing but stand there as Walburga screamed and yelled every derogatory name she could think of at the fifteen-year-old girl. Hermione reflexively reached out to her right, hoping to feel the soft fabric of a cotton t-shirt but when her fingers felt nothing except air, she suddenly felt embarrassment mixed with a tightness in her stomach. She didn't expect anyone to be there for her to grab onto. Why had she reached out? She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Remus and Sirius watching her intently and glancing sideways at each other. When she snapped out of her thoughts Hermione quickly excused herself and ran for the bedroom she now shared with Ginny.

Her episodes always seemed to be accompanied by some action or urge she couldn't explain, and they almost always involved Harry. When she had thought that Sirius and Remus wanted to kill Harry in their third year she didn't think before placing herself between him and the people she thought wanted to hurt him. When Harry's name was called out of the goblet last year she felt the urge to jump out of her seat, pull him into her side and demand Dumbledore find a way to get him out of the tournament. When Harry didn't know what to do about asking a girl to the Yule Ball she felt as though there was someone she needed to tell her best friend to talk to, but the name of that someone never formed in her mind. When she saw Harry clutching Cedric's lifeless body on the quidditch pitch she didn't think, she just ran down to the field to hold him. She remembered being filled with the suffocating need to make sure he was really there. That he was really okay.

She was too scared to tell anyone about her episodes because she thought they would call her crazy or accuse her of having romantic feelings for her best friend. But that couldn't have been farther from the truth. Yes, she had always been protective of Harry, but that need to protect him had never come from a place of romantic feelings. That she was sure of.

A loud bang and a muffled exclamation let her know that Tonk's and the others had returned from retrieving Harry from his awful relatives. Her chest loosened and she left the library behind as she flew down the stairs. When she saw Harry standing at the bottom of the stairs, Hermione couldn't help but launch herself at her best friend. Harry staggered slightly under the sudden impact but wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed her middle. She could feel his chest vibrating softly and smiled to herself, happy she had made him laugh. They pulled apart and Hermione was able to look at all of him.

He had grown since she last saw him and he was in desperate need of a haircut. His black hair was sticking up every which way and falling over his warm brown eyes. His clothes were two sizes too big and his glasses were being held together by masking tape.

"You can't go one summer without snapping your glasses in half, can you?" She asked with a laugh as she reached up to brush the tape lightly with her fingertips. Harry shrugged and returned her smile while pushing his hair off his face.

"I thought I heard my cousin crashing around out here!" exclaimed someone at the top of the stairs.

Both her and Harry looked up to see Sirius smiling fondly down at his godson. Harry's face broke into a huge grin and Hermione moved out of the way so he could embrace the only family he had left. With that last thought, her heart contracted painfully in her chest and she felt overwhelming sadness wash over her. Her hand flew to her chest before she could stop it.

Sirius caught her eye as he looked over his godson's shoulder and cocked his head to the right. He looked as though he was trying to piece together a jigsaw puzzle without having all the pieces. Hermione turned away from the older man's questioning gaze and studied the old, cracked banister.

"I'm going to go see if Mrs. Weasley needs any help with dinner." Hermione informed the two without looking up. She descended the rest of the staircase but not before squeezing Harry's arm and promising to catch up after dinner.

In the kitchen Hermione slowly and methodically chopped up carrots for Mrs. Weasley's beef stew. She couldn't keep her mind from wandering to the way she felt when she saw Harry hugging his godfather. She was extremely thankful for Sirius. Even though most of the time Hermione had to stop herself from hitting him on the back of head, Harry always lit up around the older man. Harry had finally found a piece of his family. Someone who made him feel close to the parents he never had a chance to know.

After watching Harry laugh his way through dinner as Sirius and Remus shared a highly amusing story about a drunk sixth year James and a broom, (which was cut short when Mrs. Weasley told the marauders to stop glorifying underage drinking) Hermione, Ron, and Harry went upstairs. The three fifth years sat together on one of the beds in the room Harry and Ron would be sharing for the remainder of their time at Grimmauld Place. They listened as Harry told them what had happened in Little Whinging.

"A dementor?" Hermione gasped. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Hermione." Harry waved her off and continued his story. "There's going to be a trial. I used magic in front of a muggle. I could get my wand snapped." His voice had become sullen and his eyes downcast.

"Harry," Hermione reached out put his hands between her own. "that won't happen. Dumbledore will not let that happen. I won't let that happen. If you hadn't used magic you and your cousin wouldn't be here right now."

When Harry didn't look up she reached out and put both her hands on the sides of his face. Harry looked up at her with his dark brown eyes.

"You did the right thing. You did what any decent person would have done and if the ministry can't see that then to hell with them!"

Harry and Ron stared at her for a few moments before bursting into laughter. Hermione watched them laugh for a time before finally getting fed up and rising from her spot on the bed. She was glad to see Harry laughing, but she was trying to make a point and clearly both boys had missed it.

Harry caught her arm as she rounded the bed on the way to the door. "Thank you." His voice was sincere and Hermione sat back down next to him. "I just never thought there'd be a day when I heard Hermione Granger curse the ministry." Harry and Ron continued to chuckle

lightly and she felt compelled to join them.

"But in all seriousness," Hermione started again once they had settled down. "the ministry is too scared to face the truth and this 'trial' is just a way to try and discredit you. Don't worry so much. We'll be on our way to Hogwarts soon enough."

They quickly finished talking about Harry's upcoming trial and moved onto lighter topics. Ron asked them who they thought Dumbledore had picked to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and soon all three of them had placed their bets. Hermione bet three sickles that their new professor wouldn't know how to duel. Harry bet a galleon that they would know how to duel but wouldn't be able to properly execute a body bind jinx. And Ron bet fifteen knuts that they would be less stupid than Lockhart, but as mad as Moody a.k.a Barty Crouch Jr.

Soon after placing their bets Mrs. Weasley came to tell the three that it was time for bed. Hermione went back to her room and found Ginny passed out buried under her covers. She had been sharing a room with Ginny for the last week. The younger girl had been preoccupied with writing back and forth to Dean Thomas. The two had hit it off at the end of last year and had been writing each other all summer. Her first night at Grimmauld Place Ginny spent all night talking her ear off about Dean. Hermione was happy Ginny was finally moving on from her borderline obsessive crush on Harry.

After putting on her pajamas she decided to go downstairs for a glass of water before getting into bed. Half way down the stairs she heard two hushed voices coming from the kitchen. Hoping she'd overhear something from the Order meetings she and the others weren't allowed to attend, she crept quietly toward the half open kitchen door. Sirius and Remus sat across from each other at the table with two glasses of amber liquid in front of them. A half empty bottle of fire whiskey was open nearby.

"It's been fifteen years, Sirius." Remus said exasperated. "We don't even know if it worked. Messing with time is dangerous. For all we know he could be floating around in some alternate reality."

"You don't really believe that." Sirius countered. "You saw what happened when my monster of a mother started screaming at her. She reached for him, Remus. You saw it!"

Hermione was right. They had noticed.

"We knew she would have echoes of her old life. Dumbledore told us this from the beginning. Until she sees him she won't remember. She probably doesn't even realize she's doing it." Sirius opened his mouth but Remus continued to take over him. "This was the plan from the beginning. They wanted their son to have someone by his side for the rest of his life and they succeeded. I know you want it to mean something; that he's close to coming back. I wish it were true but we need to stop holding on to something that may never happen!"

Sirius downed the last of his fire whiskey and poured himself another glass. Hermione could see his eyes glistening as he took another drink. Remus was in no better shape. She could tell he was trying to be logical but every word that came out of his mouth looked like it was tearing him apart.

"I miss them." Sirius admitted staring blankly at the space behind Remus's head.

"I miss them too." Remus stared down at the liquid in his glass before knocking it back.

Hermione's head was spinning. Who were they talking about? What was the plan? What did this had to do with her? She slowly backed away from the door careful not to alert the two sullen men to her presence. Once she got to the bottom of the staircase she turned and ran quickly up to her room. When her foot landed on the tenth step, a creak echoed through the house. Hermione froze for a half second before breaking into a run and not stopping until she made it safely to her room.

Once in her room she dove for her bed and laid as still as possible not daring to do anything but listen to her heart hammering in her chest. Ten minutes passed before Hermione allowed herself to relax enough to try and process what she had heard. She replayed the conversation over and over in her mind but she couldn't make sense of anything she heard. She needed more information.

Questions ran through her mind in a continuous loop as she tossed and turned. She had been so consumed by the thoughts running around in her head that she was startled when Ginny got out of bed and began to get ready for the day. Hermione grimaced and rolled over pulling the covers with her. After a night of obsessing and analyzing she was exhausted. She needed answers. And sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Something Found**

Hermione lay on her back with her eyes closed as she listened to Ginny get ready for the day. Soon after the door to the adjoining bathroom shut she heard the sound of water bouncing off of linoleum. She was glad to have a few moments to herself before she had to face everyone downstairs. Especially Sirius and Remus. Once they saw her face they would know she had overheard their conversation last night. She was positively transparent when she knew something she wasn't supposed to. Just as she was contemplating all the ways she could avoid the two marauders until she left for Hogwarts, a fluffy ball of fur blurred her vision and settled down on her face.

"Crookshanks!" Hermione exclaimed, an act she quickly regretted as she caught some of the cat's orange hair in her mouth. She reached up and pulled Crookshanks off her face. She placed him on top of her chest and put her chin to her chest so she could stare at him.

"Any ideas on how to find out what Sirius and Remus are hiding?" Her half-kneazle tilted its head to the side and stared back at her with blank eyes. "What? You can help a half mad convict you barely know sneak into a school full of children but you can't help your owner? The person who controls whether or not you eat." Crookshanks sneezed. "Thought so."

"Are talking to your cat?"

Hermione turned toward the bathroom door to see Ginny standing there fully dressed. The younger girl's long red hair dripped down onto the floor as she gently ran one of the dark grey towels through it.

"Yes. Although it's infuriatingly one sided."

"What did you expect?" Ginny laughed throwing her towel on the end of her bed.

"Well, he is half-kneazle."

"Anyway, bathroom's all yours." She tugged on a dark blue sweatshirt. "I'll be downstairs. I need to write Dean back."

"I don't want to get up." Hermione whined.

"Sorry." She could hear the amusement in Ginny's voice. "Take a shower you'll feel better."

Shortly after Ginny left the room Hermione pushed Crookshanks off her chest and walked to the bathroom. She cringed as she eyed herself in the mirror above the sink. Purple bruises had formed under her eyes and her hair looked like a birds nest. "Awesome." She muttered to herself before leaning over and starting the shower. She waited until the water was near scalding before stepping in.

The skin on her back burned as the water beat down on her. Her head tilted back and she let the water untangle the mess she called hair. She spent longer in the shower than she intended to thinking about how to best go about figuring out the conversation she overheard last night. She could go the obvious route and just ask, but that would require admitting she eavesdropped and a lengthy explanation of her 'episodes'. She wasn't sure she was prepared to do either of those things so she quickly threw out that option. She could continue trying to eavesdrop on every conversation Sirius and Remus would have in the next two weeks and hope they slipped and revealed the name of the mystery man. That was also problematic because she didn't think she could continue doing that without eventually getting caught. She was about to give up when she remembered what Remus had said to Sirius when he brought up her episode on her first day at Grimmauld Place; 'we knew she would have echoes of her old life.'

A plan began to form in her mind. Instead of ignoring the twisting of her stomach, the clouding of her head, and the tightening of her chest, she would follow those feelings. She'd push the 'old life' part of the equation to the back of her mind and focus on one problem at a time. Yesterday in the library before the Order came back with Harry she had an episode while reaching for a book. Hermione could see the book in her mind; sitting on the top shelf of an old bookcase slightly peeking out between two others.

She felt a surge of adrenaline run through her as she turned off the shower and started getting dressed. Maybe the book wouldn't have all the answers she needed but it was a start. She had just finished pulling on an old grey sweater when her door opened. The old piece of wood bounced off the wall creating a bang that echoed throughout the room.

"Ronald!" Hermione exclaimed turning toward the boy. "I suggest you start practicing the age old tradition of knocking before you enter a room before I get one of your brothers to hex you! I could have been changing! Merlin, do you not think?"

Her rant was met with a red faced Ron Weasley. He was looking down at the floor clearly embarrassed. She felt regret wash over her. No doubt everyone in the house had heard her yelling.

"I'm sorry, Ron." She started. "I didn't get any sleep last night and I'm a little on edge. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

The redness in Ron's cheeks subsided slightly and he looked up at one of his best friends. "It's fine. Mum told me to come get you. Breakfast is ready."

Breakfast, to Hermione's relief, consisted of only her, Harry, and the Weasley's. Remus and Tonks had gone to Diagon Alley to pick up everyone's school supplies. No one knew where Sirius was. He was probably sleeping off a hangover. She overheard Mrs. Weasley quietly ranting to her husband about the bottles of firewhiskey she found in the garbage that morning. Hermione wondered how long the two men had stayed up after she went back to her room.

When Mrs. Weasley announced at the end of breakfast that she was giving everyone the day off of cleaning, Ron and Ginny let out identical whoops of excitement. She had decided that the house was mostly clean and that the kids should enjoy what was left of their summer. Harry and Ron quickly headed into the parlor to play chess before Mrs. Weasley changed her mind. Ginny asked Hermione if she wanted to go and watch the boys play, but Hermione made an excuse about some book she wanted to finish. It wasn't technically a lie. She really did want to finish a book; it just wasn't the kind of book Ginny was probably thinking of.

Hermione wasn't worried about being caught in the library. Only Remus ever came in here and he was out with Tonks. She wasted no time in finding the bookshelf at the back of the room. To her surprise the book was gone. There were small books, tall books, brown leather bound books, there were even a couple black leather bound books but none of them weren't the ones she was looking for. She tore apart the entire shelf. No one could have known about the book except…

"Looking for this, kitten?"

Hermione spun around so fast she had to grab onto the bookcase for support. Sirius was standing five feet away from her a thick black leather book in his right hand.

"Damn it." Hermione muttered placing her hands on her hips. She was caught and she knew it.

Sirius raised his eyebrows with a smirk on his face. "Who knew you had such a mouth on you?" She rolled her eyes and watched as he tossed the book from hand to hand.

"I thought you were sleeping off a hangover." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"So that was you spying on us last night." There was nothing but mirth in his eyes. "You really need work on, you know, not making noise when you listen in on private conversations."

Hermione had the decency to look embarrassed until something occurred to her. "You never mentioned a book last night. How did you know I'd be looking for it?"

"And they call you the smartest witch of your age. I thought you were supposed to be clever. Can't you figure it out?" He tripped over his own feet when he tried to take a step forward.

"Are you still drunk?" She asked torn between amusement and offense at his drunken comment. Sirius snorted and threw himself down into an armchair. "If you would let me see that book," Hermione continued reaching out for the book but the older man snatched it out of her reach. "I would be able to."

"Nope." Sirius popped the 'p'. "You have to figure it out on your own."

"Are you trying to be annoying or is that just your personality?" Sirius smiled sadly and looked up into her eyes. Hermione wondered what she said to put that look on his face.

"That's not the first time someone's said that to me." Sirius sighed and pushed himself off the chair. "If I were you I would forget about what you heard and go enjoy the rest of your summer with your friends." He moved toward the door and she watched as he tucked the book under his arm. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sober up."

Hermione spent the rest of the day in the parlor watching Harry and Ron play exploding snaps and listening to Ginny talk about the new products the twins were working on for their future joke shop. Though she wouldn't admit it, she was impressed with the twins. They were brilliant. But no matter how brilliant their inventions or how big the explosions from the boy's game, she couldn't take Sirius's advice and forget about what she had heard. If anything her talk with Sirius had made her more curious; more determined. She wished she could talk to Ron and Harry about this, but she didn't even know what 'this' was. How could she explain something she herself didn't even understand?

When Remus came in to get them all for dinner later that night he found the four of them spread out on the floor laughing. Hermione was sure that Sirius would tell Remus that she had been spying on them last night. She expected him to look disappointed; to pull her aside and tell her the same thing Sirius had. But when she looked up and saw his face she was instantly confused. Remus had a shell-shocked look on his face and his eyes were full of joy and excitement. He looked like a little kid on Christmas day who just gotten everything he asked for.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked him hesitantly.

"I'm fantastic." Remus answered.

Harry sat up and looked at his ex-professor strangely. "Fantastic?" The boy repeated.

Remus's face lit up when he saw Harry. "Yes. Fantastic." Then he looked at Hermione who was sitting on Harry's right. His eyes softened and he smiled fondly at her. "We need you guys downstairs in the kitchen."

"Is something wrong?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, what's going on?" Ron echoed.

"Just come downstairs." Remus brushed off their questions motioned toward the door.

The four teenagers got up and warily followed Remus down the stairs. They heard shouts coming from the kitchen. An unfamiliar voice was being muffled by the shut door. When Remus opened the door the shouts became more clear.

"Sirius, I need to see my family!"

Hermione followed Harry through the door and froze when she saw who was standing across from Sirius. The man turned around when he saw Sirius staring over his shoulder. Hermione couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth. Her stomach tightened painfully and her heart contracted harder in her chest than it ever had before. She couldn't breathe. The man across from them looked exactly like Harry upon first glance. However, there were obvious differences if anyone took the time to notice.

He had messy black hair, but unlike Harry's it curled slightly at the ends. His jaw was more square than Harry's and his eyes were more hazel than brown. He had on round framed glasses that were almost identical to Harry's. His shoulders were broader than Harry's and it was clear by the shape of his face that he was older. His bone structure was more defined and his face had lost all of the lingering baby fat that still remained in Harry's. Everything about this man was vaguely reminiscent of her best friend.

Hermione suddenly felt claustrophobic. Everything was closing in on her. There was something so familiar about the man across from her and it had nothing to do with how much he looked like Harry. Her head was pounding. It was like she was driving through fog. She knew she wouldn't be able to figure out what she was missing until it lifted. She wanted it to lift so badly. She would do anything. Anything to make the feelings inside her go away.

"Hermione?" The man said softly looking at her with longing eyes.

Suddenly the fog lifted and she remembered everything.

"James?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Explanations**

"James?"

As soon as the name left her mouth Sirius released his best friend and let him rush forward. Hermione met James halfway and threw her arms around his neck. As soon as she felt her husband's strong arms around her waist she burst into tears. James's held her and buried his face in her neck as sobs wracked her body.

She couldn't believe it had worked. She couldn't believe he was here. She couldn't believe she was here. The memories hit her like a freight train; her time at Hogwarts with the marauders, marrying James, joining the Order, finding out she was pregnant, Dumbledore telling her that the most dangerous evil wizard of their time was after her son, going into hiding, Sirius begging them to make Peter their secret keeper, her and James trying to figure out how to protect their son if something ever happened to them.

" _James_?" A confused voice sounded from behind her.

Hermione pulled away from James and turned around to see Harry staring at her with a look of startled confusion on his face. She kept her hands on James chest, afraid that if she stopped touching him he would disappear. The last time she saw him he was telling her to take Harry and hide upstairs. She remembered hearing Voldemort walking up the stairs and knowing in her heart that James was gone. James would have died before he let Voldemort hurt his family. And he did.

"Oh!" Hermione blinked away tears and looked at her son. She'd been by his side for the last four years, but now it was like she was seeing him for the first time. "Harry!"

"Harry?" James looked from Hermione to Harry. "Harry. You're grown. I don't - I was supposed to - what -?"

Hermione reached up and put her hand on James's cheek to stop his rambling.

"Not everything went according to plan, James." Remus moved out from behind Harry.

James eyes widened as he looked at his fellow marauder. "Remus?" The man in question smiled and reached forward to embrace his friend. When they released each other James looked his friend up and down. "You got old, Moony."

Remus laughed and clapped James on the back. Next, it was Sirius's turn to embrace his long lost friend. The three friends laughed and smiled at each other. Hermione couldn't contain her smile as she watched the true marauders reunite.

Harry soon became impatient watching everyone welcome Grimmauld Place's new guest. This man looked like his father did, had the same name as father, but this man couldn't possibly be his father. "What the bloody hell is going on?" Harry yelled frustration evident in his voice.

The three friends let go of each other and faced the younger boy. Hermione flinched at Harry's tone. She had been through so much with him in the last four years. How was she going to make him understand? Would he forgive them? _Could_ he forgive them?

Harry turned a ghostly shade of white. He watched as his father reached forward and put his hands on his best friend's waist. This man wasn't his father. His father wouldn't be acting this way toward Hermione. James, the _real_ James would want to know where Lily was. He would want to know where his wife was.

"Harry," Hermione stepped toward Harry but he took a step backward without thinking. The hurt look on her face almost made him want to take the action back. "Harry, please just let us explain." Her voice cracked as she begged. Harry was torn between the urge to hear her out or leave the kitchen and not look back.

"Harry," Sirius stepped forward and put his hands on the boy's shoulders. "Listen. Let them explain." The serious look on his godfather's face convinced Harry to sit down and find out what was going on. There would be plenty of time to storm off later. Harry nodded but didn't look at James or Hermione.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and felt James relax behind her. Her boys must be so overwhelmed, she thought to herself. She was the only one who knew everything. As far a James knew, Harry was supposed to be a one-year-old baby. And Harry had been under the impression that both of his parents were dead. How was she going to explain this? She would worry about explaining things to James later, right now her priority was her son.

"What is going on in here?" The voice of Mrs. Weasley sounded. Everyone in the room turned to watch as a confused Mr. and Mrs. Weasley entered the kitchen followed by their twins.

"James?" Mr. Weasley asked disbelieving. "James Potter?"

Hermione felt James chest rumble as he chuckled lightly.

"Is that how everyone is going to great me from now on?" James asked no one in particular.

"Sorry, honey," Hermione answered. "You've been presumed dead for the last fourteen years. It might take people more than five minutes to process it."

James leaned down and pressed a kiss to his wife's temple. Even he was having a hard time processing what had happened. The last thing he remembered was seeing the green light of the killing curse flying toward him and praying Voldemort wouldn't hurt his family. Seeing Harry, his baby boy, as a fifteen-year-old was shocking to say the least. He was only supposed to go forward fourteen hours, not fourteen years. They had talked about how temperamental time magic was, that was one of the reasons they decided to use it only on him.

"We have some things to discuss." Remus interrupted his inner musings. "We should all head to the parlor."

"It's a complicated story." Hermione agreed. "We should probably get comfortable."

No one talked as they all shuffled into the parlor. Hermione and James sat down on the loveseat. Hermione pressed herself into James side when he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Sirius had perched himself on the arm rest closest to James and Remus went to stand behind them. Harry took a seat in the chair opposite of Hermione and James. He looked at the two with a blank hardness in his eyes that made Hermione's heart hurt. The rest of the Weasley's scattered themselves about the room each with different expressions on their faces. Arthur, Ginny, and the twins looked open and curious. Ron looked confused. Mrs. Weasley looked apprehensive and suspicious. Hermione briefly wished that everyone in the Order was here so they wouldn't have to repeat this conversation.

Once everyone was settled Sirius cleared his throat. "So are you guys gonna start or…"

"Sirius." Hermione warned. Sirius looked unperturbed and leaned back crossing his arms over his chest. "Anyway," Hermione addressed Harry directly. "I think the best place to start is from the beginning. Now I know you probably have a thousand questions, and if we don't answer all of them then please ask, but for now we need you to listen. Can you do that?"

She waited for Harry to nod before starting her story. Grasping James's hand for support she took a deep breath and started her story.

"I was born on September 19th, 1959 as Hermione Hinkley." Hermione paused to make sure everyone in the room was listening before she continued. "I went to Hogwarts with James, Remus, and Sirius. We graduated together and then James and I got married that summer. Soon after we joined the Order, I found out I was pregnant with Harry." Mrs. Weasley made a sound of disbelief in the back of his throat. "I know it sounds crazy. It is crazy. But it will all make sense. I hope." She muttered the last part to herself. "When Dumbledore told us that Voldemort," All of the Weasley's flinched. "was after you, Harry, we knew we needed to come up with a backup plan. If something happened - if anything happened to us, we knew we needed to find a way to be there for you. We searched for six months. Some of the things we found," Hermione cringed. "were dark; too dark to even think of trying. Then, when Sirius found a book in his family's library on Death Magic, we knew we needed to try it. We were desperate.

Death Magic only goes into effect if the person who performs it dies. That's what made it a backup plan. We hoped we'd never have to use it, but we knew that hope wasn't enough. Death Magic allows the user a do over. It's complicated and temperamental. There are two possible ways to use Death Magic. The first one, the one we used on me, was more intricate than the one we used on James. The simple version is this: a potion would de-age me and I would basically live from there on. The book wasn't clear on how far back the potion would de-age me so it was kind of a crap shoot. The potion sent me back so that I would be able to be there for Harry throughout his life, like we'd originally intended. The second way, the simple way, which also happened to be the riskiest way, involved a charmed time turner. James wore a time turner around his wrist for three months straight. If he died while wearing it the time turner would throw him forward in time. We thought we had set it so he would come back in fourteen hours, not fourteen years. But because James was hit with the killing curse, it messed with the time turner. We're lucky he came back at all."

Hermione paused and watched the people around the room. Harry was looking down at his hands with a pensive look on his face. Mrs. Weasley looked disbelieving. The twins looked a little too interested. But it was Ginny who had surprised her. The young girl was leaning forward taking in every word that came out of Hermione's mouth.

"Wait," Ginny interrupted. "what were you guys going to do if the time turner had done its job? James would have been twenty-one but you were two years old."

"We had another potion ready that would reverse the effects of the de-aging potion without reversing the effects of the Death Magic." James answered. "I was - am - the only one person who knows where it is. I hid it shortly after it was finished."

"What about Lily?" Harry asked. His face was cold but his eyes showed confusion and hurt. James felt a tug in his chest. This fifteen-year-old boy was a stranger to him. His son was a stranger. That thought hurt him more than any unforgivable curse ever could.

"Lily was a girl your mother and I went to school with." James tried to ignore Harry's flinch when he referred to Hermione as the boy's mother. "She was killed during the war shortly after you were born."

"We were friends during our time at Hogwarts." Hermione added. "We became close when her and James became Heads during our seventh year."

"Then why does everyone think that Lily was Harry's mom and your wife?" Mrs. Weasley asked with a tone that suggested she still didn't believe their story.

"Lily died before we had found out about Death Magic." James explained. "When she died Snape sought out Dumbledore to change sides."

"Snape?" Ron asked.

"He was in love with Lily. When she was killed Snape could no longer help the man who ordered the death of the woman he loved. Hermione and I needed a potion master for our plan to work and Snape was the best. It was part of the deal he made with Dumbledore. If he helped us with our plan he would have proved himself to be trustworthy member of the Order. He made the potion that would activate the Death Magic if Hermione died. He also made the potion that essentially replaced Hermione with Lily in everyone's memory."

"It took us forever to figure out how what we were going to change." Hermione said. "We tried to keep it as close to the truth as possible."

"Most of you remember that Lily hated me until seventh year." James started. "That's true. Lily and I didn't become friends until seventh year. Hermione and I had been friends since first year, but we didn't get together until fifth year when I finally grew up a little bit."

James ran his hand up and down Hermione's side. Hermione leaned into his touch. He couldn't believe that he had missed fifteen years. Fifteen years that should have been spent raising his son and loving his wife.

"Do you remember receiving a basket of sweets from the ministry in celebration of the end of the war?" Hermione asked Mr. And Mrs. Weasley. When the two nodded she continued. "Those were sent to every wizarding family in Britain and it was actually Dumbledore who sent them, not the ministry. Those sweets contained the potion that altered everyone's memory."

There were still many details that needed to be explained but for now both Hermione and James were more concerned with how Harry was processing their story. Would he understand that everything they had done was for him?

No one made a sound as they waited for Harry's reaction. The boy in question was staring down at his hands. James didn't know what to expect. This version of Harry was new to him. This wasn't the Harry who rode around the house on a toy broomstick and cried out for his parents in the middle of the night when he'd had a bad dream. This was the Harry who had been at Hogwarts for the past four years. He was probably interested in girls and quidditch. James didn't know this Harry, but he knew he wanted to know him more than anything.

"Harry," Hermione leaned forward and reached out to put her hand on top of his. When her hand touched his Harry stood up and left the room without a word.

Sirius moved to go after his godson but stopped when he felt James's hand on his arm. James was grateful that Sirius cared for Harry and had been there for him when he couldn't but now James was here and it was his job to be there for Harry. James stood up with Hermione's hand in his and together the two went after their son.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Family?**

Hermione and James walked down the hall on the second level of Grimmauld Place. Because James didn't know where Harry's room was Hermione was in front of him leading the way. When they arrived outside Harry's door Hermione pulled her husband to a stop. She paused and turned to see James standing there looking at her expectantly.

"There's something you need to know about Harry." She started putting her hand on James's chest. "He's been through a lot." That was an understatement, she thought bitterly. "After Voldemort killed us he went after Harry."

She watched as a look of panic formed on James's face. "No, no, no. He wasn't hurt." Hermione hurried to explain. James let out a small sigh of relief but his back was stiff and tight as he waited for his wife to continue. "He survived the killing curse. The entire world believed that Harry had killed Voldemort that night but that's not what happened. Somehow Voldemort survived and he's been going after Harry every year since he started Hogwarts."

James's brow furrowed and a look of pain came over his face. He knew Hermione was holding something back, but there would be time for explanations later. Harry was their priority now. He needed to be there for Harry now. They both did.

Hermione took a deep breath and knocked on Harry's door. She waited to hear a muffled 'go away' from the other side of the door. It never came. Hermione locked eyes with James and then slowly opened the door. Harry was sitting on the edge the bed on opposite side of the room with his back to the door. His back stiffened when he heard the door's hinges squeak and he gripped the book in his hands so tight his knuckles turned white.

Hermione and James approached Harry hesitantly as if he were a scared animal that would bolt if they made any sudden movements. James eyed the book in his son's lap and couldn't help but smile. It was a scrapbook Hermione had started shortly after they were married. He thought back to what she had told him when he first found her looking through old photos and choosing which ones were worthy of being placed in the book. "These are pieces of us, James. Pieces of who we are and who we will become. I want to look back at these pictures and remember everything because everything we are, everything we've been through to get here, it's all worth remembering." It seemed like so long ago. It was so long ago, he reminded himself, almost sixteen years.

James went and sat down next to Harry making sure to leave a significant amount of space between the two. "May I?" James asked gesturing to the scrapbook. Harry paused before sliding the book toward James. James closed the book and laid it down in his lap. He ran his hand over the smooth leather before pulling his wand from his back pocket and tapping the book's cover lightly with the tip of his wand. When he was done he handed the book back to its owner.

Harry opened the book and had to take a deep, steadying breath. He watched as a young couple played in the snow outside Hogwarts. The woman in the picture was running to try and avoid the man's long arms from grabbing her. When the two got closer to the camera the man finally grabbed the woman by the waist making her burst into a fit of laughter. Harry had stared at the photograph a thousand times since it had come into his possessions. He knew every detail of it inside and out but now the photo had changed. The woman's hair had changed from a rich red color to a light brown. Her face was now rounder and her eyes were a warm chocolate brown, not green.

"We used a disillusionment charm on the pictures to make her look like Lily." James explained. Harry wasn't paying any attention.

"You have your mother's eyes." Harry muttered to himself. He had never understood why Sirius and Remus always told him he had his mother's eyes. Lily's eyes were green, his were brown. They hadn't been talking about Lily, he realized, they had been talking about Hermione. His mother. Harry looked up from the scrapbook and saw Hermione kneeling down in front of him. He looked directly into her eyes. The same color as his. He felt tears spring to his eyes as he looked at her.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione's voice cracked as she watched Harry's eyes fill with tears. She reached out and gripped his hand tightly in hers. This time he didn't flinch away. He needed the support that came from her strong grip. He needed it to keep him grounded. Everything was changing and she was the only constant. Whether she was Hermione his best friend or Hermione his mother, she was still Hermione. "We didn't know what to do. The war was getting worse and worse by the day and we didn't think there was any way we were going to make it through. But we knew we couldn't leave you. We couldn't bear the thought of not getting to see the man you'd become because who you've become is more than we ever could have dreamed. That's why we did what we did. Please understand. We love you so much, Harry. You can't even imagine."

By the time Hermione was done all three of them had tears running down their cheeks. None of them knew where to go from here. How could they ever be a family again?

"We know it'll take time." James began, clearing his throat. "We know it'll be hard but we have time. It's the one thing we didn't have enough of the first time around. We want you to take your time and get to know us as we are, not as you've imagined us to be. I want to get to know you as the man you've become. And hopefully, with time, we can find a way to be the family we were supposed to be. Can we please give this a try? All we want, all we've ever wanted, is for you to be happy. So if you don't want this-"

"I want to try." Harry interrupted without thinking. And he truly did. His whole life all he had ever wanted was his parents. It didn't matter how he got them back. All that mattered was that they were back. "I want my parents." His voice was so small and broken that it made his parent's hearts breaks they watched their son slowly start to crack.

"You have us." James said firmly reaching out slowly to lay his hand on Harry's shoulder. As soon as he felt his father's hand on his shoulder Harry fell apart. His head fell into his hands and sobs wracked his body. He knew he should feel embarrassed for not being strong. But he was just so tired of being strong. He let himself relax into Hermione's embrace and memorized the feeling of James's hand on his shoulder. Maybe he didn't always have to be strong. Maybe his parents could be strong for him. At least for a little while.

All James could do was squeeze his son's shoulder and watch as Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry and let him cry into her chest. He felt so helpless. He didn't know what to do. He didn't know if there was anything he could do. But he did know he wasn't going to leave. His son needed him, and because of that, he would always be there.

James and Hermione left the room soon after Harry had calmed down promising to answer any questions he could think of in the morning. They passed the Weasley children on their way downstairs. Hermione almost cringed at the way Ron was looking at her; like she was a stranger instead of one of his best friends. The twins quickly danced past them and into their rooms looking far too excited than they had any right to be. Ginny gave the pair a small smile before telling the two that Molly was in the kitchen making dinner and wanted to talk to them. The young redhead gave Hermione's hand a light squeeze as she headed for the room they had previously shared. At least one of the Weasley's was in her corner, she thought sadly.

Hermione loved the Weasley's like a second family. They were the only family she'd ever had that understood magic, except James of course. Her biological parents died shortly after she graduated in the 70s. They were, like the Granger's, muggles and didn't understand magic. Hermione was incredibly thankful for her two sets of wonderful parents, but no matter how hard they tried they would never understand the biggest part of her; the part that was a witch. But the Weasley's did. Molly had loved her like a daughter and she hated to think that what she had done to protect her son would have changed that. Molly was a mother, surely she'd understand. Hermione chewed her lip absently as she walked down the stairs with James.

"What are you nervous about?" James asked pulling her close.

"What?" She asked back confused.

"You chew your bottom lip when you're nervous." James explained reaching up to run his thumb over her bottom lip. Hermione shivered and gripped the fabric of his shirt tightly. She may have remembered what it was like to be touched by James, but her body didn't. Just the slightest touch of his hand on hers was enough make body sing. James leaned down until his mouth was next to her ear. "Do you remember our sixth year? After we'd won the quidditch final? You'd been biting that damned lip of yours all night." His voice was rough and husky, hot breath hit the back of her neck and she pressed herself closer, molding herself to him. "When I finally asked you what was wrong do you remember what you did?" Hermione remembered. She remembered it as if it was playing out right in front of her. She could almost smell the firewhiskey in the air. James squeezed her hips, subtly demanding an answer. She nodded heavily into his shoulder. "You dragged me up to my dorm and you-"

"There you two are!" A smug voice called.

The couple pulled apart, but only slightly, to see Sirius standing at the entrance to the kitchen with a glass of firewhiskey and a smirk. "I was wondering if maybe you had taken a detour. You know the old room the two of you used to stay in is just as you left it." Sirius winked. His best friends wife rolled her eyes but blushed nevertheless.

"Leave them alone." Remus scolded. "They haven't had a moment to themselves since they got back."

"Well then what was that?" Sirius asked gesturing to the two on the stairs. "It looked pretty damn private to me. Hermione was practically panting."

"I was not!" Hermione exclaimed indignantly.

"Oh please." It was Sirius's turn to roll his eyes. "One more minute you would have let him bend you over-"

"Sirius!" Everyone in the hallway scolded with varying degrees of harshness.

Remus sighed but there was a smile playing on his lips. "Can't you just let them be happy?" He wasn't used to this anymore. For a while, right after Sirius was thrown in Azkaban and Hermione and James were murdered, he had given up hope that he would ever see any of them again.

"Speaking of being happy, Remus." Hermione raised her eyebrows at the werewolf. Remus caught onto her meaning quickly and looked away. "Let yourself be happy and stop pushing that poor girl away because one of these days she might not come back. There's only so much a person can take. Now stop with the 'woe is me' attitude and man up."

Remus felt a mixture of happiness and guilt flood his body, happiness because he never thought he'd get another life lecture from Hermione, not the way he used to before she died, and guilt because he knew she was right. He'd try to do better when it came to Nymphadora Tonks, he vowed silently to himself, but a small part of him still didn't think he deserved the younger woman. He could never be what she wanted.

Hermione walked forward and rubbed her hand up and down his arm comfortingly like she used to, like she knew exactly what he was thinking. He'd never realized how much he'd relied on her as a voice of reason until she wasn't there anymore.

Sirius must have noticed the lost look on James's face because as soon as he opened his mouth Sirius said, "Remus wants to shag my cousin." As if all James's questions would be answered with that simple sentence.

James eyes widened and he looked at Remus startled. Sirius had a lot of cousins, Bellatrix included.

"I don't - can you just - please." Remus stuttered blushing.

"Sirius," Hermione said addressing the marauder. "Shut up." Then she turned to James. "I'll explain later. I'll explain _everything_ later." James nodded but still looked a little weirded out.

Hermione glanced at the kitchen door. Suddenly she felt anxious. "Is she angry?" She asked before she could stop herself.

"Not overly." Remus cleared his throat, thankful for the subject change. "More confused than anything else. I think she understands, but it's too big for her to process in one night."

Hermione nodded understandingly. "I can handle that." She said it more to herself than anyone else.

James remembered Molly and Arthur. Arthur more than Molly, but that was because Molly was always at home chasing after their five boys. Every time he had seen the two Arthur was always asking Hermione about random muggle things he was interested in and Molly was usually cooking or cleaning up after one of her sons. James had always admired how committed the two parents were to their family. He knew that if anyone could understand the decision he and Hermione had made it would be them.

"Shall we?" Remus said gesturing toward the door.

"If we must." James replied reaching for his wife's hand before following Remus through the door.

"Let the show begin." Sirius muttered to himself before entering the kitchen.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Confrontation, Explanation, and Realization**

Heading into the kitchen James felt as if he was back in school walking into McGonagall's office anxiously waiting to see how many detentions he'd get. The familiarity of it was strangely comforting but all the more terrifying because he couldn't anticipate Molly Weasley's reactions like he could McGonagall's. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his wife twirling the diamond stud in her right ear, a nervous habit she developed in their fifth year when he told her that he and the other marauders were working to become animagi. The habit abided a bit after they had all made it through and were successfully able to change back and forth, but it had come back with full force once they had gone into hiding. James gently reached over and took her hand away from her ear. Hermione barely acknowledged the move which caused a small amount of anxiety to curl in James's stomach.

In the kitchen Mrs. Weasley was bustling around the stove with a hand towel draped over her shoulder. Arthur sat up to attention when they entered and moved the _Daily Prophet_ to the center of the table, turning it upside down. James thought he saw the name 'Potter' on the front page but quickly dismissed it, focusing on the matter at hand. Molly's back was to them as James and Remus slid around behind him to take a seat at the kitchen table. When she turned around she paused as if not quite sure how to react before starting toward them. She stopped about a foot in front of them and took the towel from her shoulder and wiped her hands on it. She waved her hand toward the table silently ordering them to take a seat. James anxiety grew with every second that passed without a word.

Silently Hermione and James took a seat at the table opposite of Arthur, next to Sirius and Remus. Molly slowly sat down next to her husband and laid her hands flat on the table. James settled his hand on his wife's knee when it started to shake nervously. She had never been in a lot of trouble during their time in school and was uncomfortable being cornered, especially when she knew she had done nothing wrong.

Hermione had been acutely aware of Mrs. Weasley's less than cordial feelings for her since _Witch Weekly_ had published an article that made her out to be a slag who played two triwizard champions against each other for her own enjoyment. It had hurt that Mrs. Weasley believed Hermione was capable of those awful things. Sitting here now, Hermione had a sinking feeling that a small part of the Weasley matriarch still believed Rita Skeeter's lies.

"I hoped you understand," Molly started her eyes hard and untrusting, "that we need to verify your story with Dumbledore."

"Molly," Sirius interrupted, "Remus and I vouched for them. That should be enough."

Molly glared at Sirius. "I'm not doing or believing anything until I can speak with Dumbledore."

"Molly-" Remus tried but was cut off.

"I'm not doing anything until I speak to Dumbledore." Molly repeated harshly. "Not after what happened last year. I'm not taking any chances."

James glanced at Hermione but she was too focused on staring straight ahead to notice his questioning gaze. He looked to his two best friends and found they were trying very hard not to look in his direction. For the first time since he'd been back James truly realized how much he had missed.

"Dear," Arthur put his hand over his wife's, "maybe you're being a little too cautious. Sirius and Remus trust them and-"

"Which is why I'm allowing them to stay here tonight." Molly cut off sharply before standing up and moving back to the stove. "I let you talk to Harry, which I think was plenty generous considering I don't fully believe your story. You two can come down after the kids are finished with dinner and eat. I'll leave the stove on. You'll both be staying on the third floor away from the children where you will stay until Dumbledore arrives for tomorrow's order meeting." Molly said all this with her back turned to the table.

Sirius looked like he was about to object but James stood before he could get a word out. "We understand Molly. We'll do whatever we can to make you comfortable until you can talk to Dumbledore. Besides," James smiled as pleasantly a he could with all the feelings rolling around inside of him, "this gives Hermione and I time to catch up without being interrupted."

Sirius was so put out he didn't even make a comment about his friends 'catching up' but he did manage a smirk in their direction. James shot a pointed look at Sirius as if knowing what the other marauder was thinking. Arthur stood to shake James' hand and squeeze Hermione's shoulder before exiting the room. James moved to hug Sirius and Remus. Sirius made a crude comment about not forgetting the silencing charm and Remus promised to join them for dinner after everyone had gone to bed. Hermione, who hadn't moved since Molly had told them to sit down, stiffly stood up and let James guide her upstairs to what was now their room. Molly didn't turn back around until both James and Hermione were halfway up the first flight of stairs.

"Hermione," James started as he shut the door before turning to look at his wife. When he caught sight of her pacing in front of the bed, his mouth shut.

Staring across the room at a younger version of his wife he was struck again by the magnitude of what he had lost, all he had missed. The weight of it made his knees buckle. How many times had he seen her like this? How many rants had he listened to? How many times had he been the subject of those rants? How many rants had he missed in the last fourteen years? He should have paid more attention before. He should have memorized the little wisps of hair that slipped out of her pony tail. He should have paid more attention to the purse of her lips when she clenched her jaw so tight he thought her teeth might break.

Hermione turned toward James to find him staring at her with a lost, hollow expression in his eyes. The same look she saw in Harry's eyes when he returned from the cemetery at the end of last year. Her furry toward Mrs. Weasley evaporated as quickly as it had appeared.

"James," she called to him breaking him from his frozen state.

"You need to tell me, Hermione," He said roughly. "You need to tell me what happened. What happened after I- after we died. What happened to Harry, to you. All of it," He pleaded. The desperation in his voice was palpable.

She didn't want to. Her whole being was begging her not to tell him. After a minute of silence she finally replied, "Okay." Her voice came out in a whisper. He needed to know. "Okay, I'll tell you everything."

She grabbed his hand and led him to the bed at the far end of the room. She was briefly flooded with memories of the moments they'd shared in this room before going into hiding; during their Order days. She shook her head, those memories had no place here, not anymore. Sitting down, she pulled James with her.

"You have to promise me you won't interrupt." She looked at him pointedly. "I promise to tell you everything. I won't leave anything out, but you have to let me get through this." The hurt and the pain behind her eyes told James that what he was about to hear would be worse than what he'd been imagining in his head since he came back.

"I promise."

Hermione took a deep breath. "I'm assuming that Dumbledore took me straight to the Granger's after he made sure Harry was safe at the Dursley's. Lily was supposed to be his mother so it only made sense that he'd go to her next of kin. I wonder now if we made the right choice."

Hermione's eyes glazed over and James began to feel sick to his stomach. He remembered the stories Lily used to tell about her sister and that awful brother-in-law of hers. The thought of his son growing up to wanted to be sick.

Hermione continued talking for the next two hours leaving nothing out. Every adventure, every bully, every near death experience. The more he listened, the more powerless he felt. How could he have let this happen? He was supposed to protect them. He was supposed to have been there.

When she was finished Hermione looked up at her husband. James was lying there still as a statue, staring blankly head. Not knowing what else to do, she lay there and let him process everything. During her story they had ended up lying back on the bed huddled together with their foreheads touching. To an outsider they would've looked like a pair of lovers basking in each other's embrace. In reality, every second that ticked by was putting Hermione more and more on edge until finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Say something, please." She begged. James looked up at her with dark, glazed eyes.

"What do you want me to say?" He asked his voice raw. "Do you want me to say that I feel like I failed as a father. As a husband? Do you want me to tell you that I'm scared shitless because the thing we died trying to protect our son from is back and trying to kill him?" James rolled away from Hermione and rose from the bed, causing her to sit up. His voice was rising to the level of near shouting. Hermione's heart pounded as she watched him finally voice all his bottled up worries that crashed down on his shoulders in the last five hours.

"Do you want me to admit that I don't know if I fit into the life that you and Harry have lived without me for the last fourteen years?" James voice cracked as he stared into the eyes of the person that he wished, with all his being, he had been able to spend the last fourteen years with. "I don't think I know how to live in this world."

Hermione had heard enough. She lifted herself off the bed and stormed over to her husband and grasped his face between her hands. "Stop it." Her voice was soft but firm. "We knew that this was going to be hard. But it's worth all the heartache and suffering if we're able to be there for our son. He needs you. I need you. If we're going to make it through this war, we're doing it together. As a family."

James leaned forward and rested his forehead against Hermione's. Hermione closed her eyes and let James silently come to terms with his new reality. She knew it would take time. The world had moved on in the last fourteen years, while James had not. Her, Harry, James, the Order; they all had quite a bit of adjusting ahead of them. But she was confident they'd make it work. It would just take time.

Suddenly, without any warning, James broke into laughter. Hermione pulled back and stared up questioningly at her husband.

James smiled wryly. "I'm dead, you're fifteen, and our son is 'The Chosen One.'"

"Yeah?" Hermione didn't get the joke.

James' smile widened

"Best. Family. Ever."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Wake Up Calls and Arguments

James, despite being emotionally exhausted from the night's events, had been unable to sleep. Hermione, who was curled up into his right side slept uneasily, shifting and letting out soft whines every so often. Every time she moved, James hugged her closer (if that was even possible), and let his mind wander. He thought of his school days, order missions, prophecies, and most often, he thought of his son.

When Hermione had first told him that she was pregnant, James had been thrilled...for about five minutes before he realized what that actually meant. James was pretty sure that, despite Hermione's reassurances, he was going to find a way to royally fuck up his kid. Then Harry was born, and James was suddenly absolutely positive he was going to fuck up his kid. He had managed to get through one year of Harry's life without incident, and that was before he was 'The Chosen One.'

A soft knock at the door startled James from his thoughts. Gently, James removed his arm from underneath his wife and crept silently to the door, softly pushing it open. On the other side was a short, slightly lanky redhead he had briefly met the night before. She had long red hair that reminded him of Lily Evans, but unlike Evans, she had a galaxy of freckles scattered across her cheeks.

"Yes?" James whispered trying to position the door to cover his boxer clad body. James was by no means ashamed of his body, however even he had enough sense not to blatantly flaunt it in front of a fourteen-year-old girl he'd met twelve hours ago.

"Harry convinced Mum that he needed her to pick him up some extra quills because his "broke" last night." Ginny rolled her eyes not bothered by the fact that James only donned a pair of boxers. "She thinks he walks on water, so of course, she rushed out to get them. Anyway, if you want you can come downstairs and have breakfast with the rest of us, Dad won't mind."

"Thank you, -" James paused awkwardly searching his brain for her name.

"Ginny," Hermione gently interrupted sliding under James' arm. She was clad only in James long sleeve shirt, which stopped mid-thigh and hung past her fingertips. "You're not supposed to be up here; your mum already hates me as it is."

"She's gone out. Harry's doing." Ginny explained. "I still can't understand why she reads that trash let alone believes it."

"Why does Molly hate you?" James asked looking between the two girls. "What trash?"

"You didn't tell him?" Ginny asked disbelieving.

"I may have omitted some nonessential information." Hermione defended playing with the sleeve of James shirt. "Besides, he's been back less than 24 hours. There were more important things to discuss." A soft flush spreading over her cheeks as Ginny smirked at her. "I was going to mention it eventually." She mumbled the last part to herself.

"What nonessential information." James asked. He wasn't mad she had left something out. He was more amused by the fact that whatever she left out was clearly embarrassing her. "Hermione?" He teased.

"Nothing." Hermione said exasperatedly. "It's nothing. Molly just thinks I'm a huge slag." Hermione tugged violently at a loose string on James shirt sleeve.

"Your own son, Hermione!" Ginny mocked clicking her tongue. "Oh, and we can't forget about the Bulgarian seeker." Ginny added, mirth sparkling in her eyes. "You know I just realized you have a thing for quidditch players."

"Thank you Ginny, you've been such a big help this morning," Hermione smiled sweetly at Ginny, annoyance clear in her glare.

James had a confused and alarmed look on his face, like the thought of his wife having a relationship with someone other than himself in the last fifteen years hadn't crossed his mind.

"Wait!" Ginny stuck her hand out to stop the door as Hermione tried to shut it. "I come bearing gifts."

Ginny held out a small pile of clothes, which Hermione hastily grabbed from her and shut the door unceremoniously.

"Breakfast in five minutes so talk fast!" Ginny yelled as she walked back downstairs.

Once Ginny entered the kitchen every set of eyes was trained on her.

"Good morning?" Ginny asked slightly unnerved.

"Where are they?" Harry asked earnestly.

"They should be down in-" Ginny paused and turned towards Remus and Sirius, who were seated at the far side of the table. "On a scale of 1 to 10 how jealous is James?"

"15." Remus deadpanned while Sirius nodded along in agreement next to him.

"Okay, well, James just found out, through no fault of my own, that Hermione may or may not have made out with a certain Bulgarian seeker last year."

Remus immediately folded his copy of the Daily Prophet and placed it back in the middle of the table. Sirius calmly straightened his spine and faced his fellow marauder. The pair stared intently at each other, as their housemates looked on perplexedly. What ensued next was an intense game of 'Rock, Paper, Scissors,' which left behind a gaggle of confused Weasley's and a seriously pissed Black stalking up three flights of stairs.

Once Sirius was out of view, Remus unfolded his paper. "He has a tell." Was the werewolf's only explanation before he resumes his reading on a new bill that, if passed, would make it illegal to own any magical creature bigger than a house elf. Hagrid would not be pleased, Remus thought wryly.

"It was one time!" Hermione growled, violently pulling the shirt Ginny had brought her over her head. "Besides, I didn't even know you were who you were!"

James shucked on a pair of jeans before taking a deep breath. "I understand that." He gritted his teeth. "What I don't understand is why you felt the need to go to second base with him."

"You are being completely ridiculous!" Hermione exclaimed. "You and I were only fifteen when we started having sex."

"Yes, but that was you and me!" James argued back. "Not you and...Victor." James paused before saying his name as if it physically revolted him.

"You are being such a baby."

"Take that back!"

James could see the fire in her eyes as they argued. Logically, he knew that Hermione's little escapade wasn't cheating, but the thought of his wife kissing and touching, someone else it made him want to be sick. He had been her first, well, everything. He used to relish in the fact that nobody other than himself had kissed her lips or touched her soft, creamy skin. Yes he was jealous, but he was also angry. Angry because this wasn't the way things were supposed to be! Being privy to her 'relationship' with Victor just reminded him of how useless he had been while traveling through time.

"James," Hermione took a deep breath to calm herself down, "if I had known, or even suspected...I wouldn't have let him-"

"I know that!" James cut off angrily before turning his back to her and pulling the shirt Ginny had left for him over his head.

Hermione knew James was jealous, but she also knew he was struggling with everything. Hell, she was struggling, but unlike James she had lived through it all. She was able to experience everything that had happened in the last fourteen years. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be.

Hermione stared at James back for a moment before walking towards her sulking husband and snaking her arms around his waist, resting her forehead on his back. James fought the urge to relax as Hermione's fingers danced under the cotton fabric of his shirt.

"James," Her hot breath out fanned across the upper plains of his back and her palms flattened against his tight stomach. "It was just a few fumbling kisses and an accidental groping." Her voice was soft and reassuring. She paused and he felt her chuckle. "I thought about hexing him to be completely honest."

James turned around when her hands retreated from under his shirt. Now that they were facing one another James could see a different kind of fire in her eyes. Although his jealousy was already sated, James stayed silent. He wanted that fire.

Hermione smirked subtly when James turned to face her. His features were arranged to look impassive, but his eyes were soft and determined as he stared down at her. Hermione's smirk grew. After spending nearly five years in a relationship, she knew James Potter like the back of her hand.

Hermione reached forward and took James' hand in hers, directing it under her shirt. They watched each other as Hermione slid his hand up the naked planes of her stomach. Hermione tipped her head back slightly when his hand reached the stiff underwire of her bra. The hand that was guiding his dropped to her side, letting him regain control of the limb.

"He never felt my skin under the palm of his hand." Hermione's whispers turned to a moan when James moved his hand higher to cup her breast. Hermione gasped when James gripped one of her hips tightly in his free hand.

"He never felt my hands sliding up his back." Hermione panted as her hands climbed the hard muscles of his back. When she reached his shoulder blades she lightly skimmed her nails back down to the top of his jeans. "He never felt my nails dragging across his skin."

James had his hand under her bra, teasing her hard, sensitive nipple with his experienced hand. His other hand traced the curves of her side slowly upward and then deftly unhooked her bra, letting it slack against the fabric of her shirt.

Hermione felt hot, too hot, under her husband's ministrations. She remembered having sex. She remembered having good sex, great sex, mind blowing sex with James Potter. But just because she remembered, doesn't mean her body did. No one had ever touched her like this, not in this body. Everything was new and overwhelming.

"James." She let out a breathy moan.

Suddenly, James decided he couldn't take any more of his wife's sexy reassurances. He needed more. Grabbing her ass in one hand, while continuing his purposeful groping of her breast with the other, he bent his knees so his hardness was in line with her hot (and he was assuming wet) center. He held her in place and grinded himself against her, hard.

Hermione felt it, in her lower stomach. A tight ball coiling tighter and tighter, sending little bursts of pleasure to where James was rutting against her.

Hermione lifted one of her legs higher, trying to get a more direct angle. Taking the hint, James let go of her breast and lifted her with both hands under her shapely ass. Walking backwards he felt himself hit the bed and then fall back with his wife on top of him. Hermione quickly righted herself. With her legs on either side of her husband's hips, she fisted the fabric of James shirt, moving against him at the perfect angle.

Hermione whined desperately. She needed a release and their jeans, hers in particular, weren't helping. She reached out for James' hand, continuing to rub against his hardness, and popped open the button of her pants and shoved his hand down them. His hand felt cool against her hot, wet folds.

"Yes!" Hermione exclaimed. James felt around for the bundle of nerves that would sure enough, send his wife over the edge.

Before he could find it, his naughty little wife was grasping at his belt. He paused when he felt her warm hand wrap around his aching cock.

"Don't stop!" Hermione growled.

James doubled his efforts to make Hermione come. Finally, he found her clit and pinched it lightly, the way he knew she loved. Hermione fell over the edge and reared forward to bite down on the juncture between his neck and shoulders. Her hand stilled on his cock and James gasped as Hermione came down from her orgasm, lapping at the spot where she had bit his neck.

James, while happy he took care of his wife, desperately needed something hot and wet around his aching cock. He rolled his hips hoping that Hermione's grip would be enough. It wasn't.

Hermione felt James move underneath her. He couldn't be ready to go again that quickly, she thought. She looked up and saw the frustration in James eyes and she knew he hadn't finished. Hermione, quick to remedy her thoughtlessness, pulled his pants and boxers down to his ankles and James kicked them away. He moaned as his cock hit the cool air. Hermione slid down the tops of his thighs, then, straddling his left leg, leaned down and licked James leaking head. James' hips rose up off the bed. He was too frustrated, too pent up. He needed his release, now.

His fingers wove into Hermione's thick curls and he pushed himself deeper into her mouth. Hermione groaned as she hollowed out her cheeks and sucked the way she knew James liked. While her mouth worked, her hand slid down to lightly skim her nails over his balls. Hearing James whisper her name like a prayer over, and over, made her hot again. If James were conscious of anything other than Hermione's hot wet mouth engulfing his cock, he would have felt Hermione grinding against his leg, looking for another release. Everything was so sensitive, Hermione had no issue coming again once she stuck a free hand down her jeans to mimic James's earlier ministrations.

Hermione, determined to make her husband finish, sucked hard on the head of his cock while dragging her nails down the tops of his thighs. James thrust up into her mouth, releasing. Hermione swallowed. He tasted just as she remembered.

Sirius returned to the kitchen almost as soon as he had left it. Remus looked up from the Prophet with only mild curiosity.

"What happened?" Remus asked glancing sideways at the five Hogwarts students gathered around the table.

"They made up." Sirius replied vaguely sitting back down next to the Marauder. "They'll be down in a few minutes."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny seemed to accept the explanation and the lack of details. The twins however were wearing matching smirks that made their former professor shoot them warning looks.

"I do hope they hurry." Fred stated.

"Yes, it would be a shame if mum came home before they got the chance to eat." George agreed.

"I guess that all depends on how long James can last." Fred added with a smirk. "It has been fourteen years...at least for Hermione it has."

With that Fred dropped his plate on the counter and left the room.

"What's been fourteen years?" Ginny asked innocently.

George's eyes widened as he quickly stood up, dropped his plate next to his twin's, and fled the room. Harry and Ron shifted uncomfortably suddenly losing their appetites. Harry at the thought of his parents doing that, and Ron at the thought of explaining sex to his little sister.

"Why does it matter how long James can last? He meant arguing with Hermione, right?" Ginny asked again. Although she was fourteen and unofficially dating Dean Thomas, she had less than zero experience in all things of a sexual nature. Dean hadn't even properly kissed her yet.

"Yes," Remus answered at the same time Sirius answered "no."

Harry was about to get up and leave, not being able to stand the awkwardness, when the kitchen door opened and in stepped his parents.


End file.
